The guidance from the IOC’s executive board — almost certain to be rubber-stamped by the full IOC membership next month — followed a months-long investigation into alleged serious mismanagement at the crisis-riddled International Boxing Association (AIBA).

The probe “speaks for itself,” IOC president Thomas Bach told reporters in Lausanne.

He said the evidence details “extremely serious issues” within AIBA ranging from “deficiencies” in governance, to lack of due diligence and conflicts of interest.

In ousting AIBA from the Tokyo Games but creating a new path for boxers to compete, the IOC was seeking to ensure that athletes “can live their dream and participate in the Olympic Games” while making sure AIBA faced “the necessary consequences,” Bach said in a statement.

The IOC probe was led by audit firm Deloitte, and centred on subjects ranging from finances, governance and ethics to anti-doping, refereeing and judging.

The probe determined that AIBA has made “a lack of satisfactory progress,” in resolving its issues, the IOC said.

In a statement, AIBA said that it had “taken note of the announcement made by the IOC” but refused to be drawn on what it’s next move would be.

“AIBA is currently reviewing the report from the IOC and will not make any comments until further clarification is made, however AIBA does look forward to working with the IOC in the future,” it said.

Matthieu Reeb, Secretary General of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), told AFP that “no appeal would be possible until a final decision has been made” but that the Olympic Charter enables the CAS to rule on an appeal should AIBA decide to file one.

– Controversial leadership –

Formed in 1946, AIBA has overseen decades of signature Olympic moments, notably the 1960 gold medal win in Rome by Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay.

But its reputation has been tarnished in recent years as it careened from crisis to crisis.

Relations between AIBA and the IOC took a sharp downward turn following the 2016 Rio Games, when 36 officials and referees were suspended amid allegations of bout fixing.

An internal investigation by AIBA raised deeper questions about the judging in Rio, with particular suspicion falling on a French official.

Then in 2017, AIBA executives forced out the body’s president C.K. Wu, amid claims of multi-million dollar accounting fraud.

Wu, a Taiwanese national, denied wrongdoing and remains a member of the IOC, an indication that he retains the support of senior Olympic officials.

Wu was ultimately replaced by the controversial Uzbek businessman Gafur Rakhimov, who the US Treasury Department has linked to “transnational criminal organisations”.

Rakhimov, who stepped aside in March, vehemently rejects such charges and insists the allegations against him are “politically motivated lies”.

Bach said that because Rakhimov has been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department, dealing with AIBA posed a “high risk… (for) anybody who is subject to US jurisprudence.”

Complications surrounding Rakhimov’s designation by the US government “played a major role in the deliberations of the inquiry commission,” Bach said.

Rakhimov was replaced as interim president by Moroccan doctor Mohamed Moustahsane — the fourth head of AIBA in 18 months.

Before the announcement, AIBA’s leadership had insisted that the organisation had met all the requirements stipulated by the IOC.

The governing body’s chief executive Tom Virgets told AFP earlier this month that the organisation had “done everything that has been asked by the IOC”.

“Every single document asked, we produced, every single requirement we have met,” he said.

– Boxing in Tokyo –

Addressing boxers hoping to compete in 2020, Bach vowed that “there will be an Olympic tournament in Tokyo.”

The IOC has created a special taskforce led by Morinari Watanabe of the Japanese Olympic Committee to organise both the qualifiers and the Tokyo competition.

Details have yet to be hammered out, but the IOC said qualifications will take place between January and May 2020.

Boxers, Bach said, should rest assured that there will be a “fair competition in which all the athletes have equal and fair chances.

The 2022 tournament in the Gulf state will now be played with 32 nations taking part.

FIFA said it had abandoned the expansion plans “following a thorough and comprehensive consultation process” which led to the conclusion that “under the current circumstances such a proposal could not be made now”.

“(The tournament) will therefore remain as originally planned with 32 teams and no proposal will be submitted at the next FIFA Congress on 5 June,” FIFA said in a statement.

The expansion was a pet project of Infantino, who pushed the idea despite the likely need for Qatar’s neighbours to put aside a two-year blockade and help to host an expanded tournament.

“The involvement of these countries in the organisation of the tournament jointly with Qatar implies the lifting of this blockade, in particular the lifting of restrictions on the movement of people and goods,” said a feasibility study submitted to March’s FIFA Congress in Miami.

The study, seen by AFP, also claimed that a Qatar World Cup with 48 teams would generate “between $300-$400 million (265-354 million euros) of additional income”.

Specifically FIFA was counting on an additional $120 million in TV rights, $150 million in marketing rights and $90 million from ticket sales.

The news comes after Europe’s top football clubs said in March they would boycott an expanded 24-team Club World Cup — also backed by Infantino — which is planned to take place in June and July 2021, replacing the Confederations Cup tournament.

– Complicated proposition –

An announcement of the final decision had not been expected until next month’s FIFA Congress to be held in Paris ahead of the women’s World Cup that takes place in France between June 7 and July 7.

FIFA said it had examined the possibility of Qatar hosting a 48-team tournament on its own, but a study “concluded that due to the advanced stage of preparations and the need for a detailed assessment of the potential logistical impact on the host country, more time would be required and a decision could not be taken before the deadline of June”.

FIFA has dropped the plan to expand the 2022 tournament despite recommending in March that the number of teams should be raised to 48 for that tournament, ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Expanding the competition for the 2022 tournament was always a complicated proposition. FIFA had sounded out potential co-hosts in the region willing to support Qatar, a complicated proposition for Doha which is subject to an ongoing embargo by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies.

Qatar’s Supreme Committee, charged with the organisation of the tournament, said in reaction to FIFA’s decision that “Qatar had always been open to the idea of an expanded tournament in 2022 had a viable operating model been found and had all parties concluded that an expanded 48-team edition was in the best interest of football and Qatar as the host nation.”

But it said there was insufficient time to make a deeper assessment before the June deadline and “it was therefore decided not to further pursue this option.”

“With just three and a half years to go until kick off, Qatar remains as committed as ever to ensuring the 32-team FIFA World Cup in 2022 is one of the best tournaments ever and one that makes the entire Arab world proud,” the Supreme Committee said.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain cut all ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing Doha of supporting Iran and Islamist groups.

Qatar vehemently denies the charges and says Saudi Arabia and its allies are aiming to incite government change in the emirate, the world’s largest exporter of liquified natural gas.

Gulf states Kuwait and Oman have not taken sides in the crisis. However, Oman said in April it was “not ready” to host matches.

The European team who won their only World title in 2002 and finished seventh in the Nations League last year employed their better teamwork and fast attacks to beat the Kingdom’s side for their second Pool 1 win. Italy have beaten Thailand 13 out of 15 encounters.

Thailand, with one win against Germany and one defeat will face host Poland tonight.

Thailand coach Danai Sriwacharamaytakul says in the post- match interview that: “It’s good for Thailand team to play against a strong opponent like Italy. The Italians play really well on every position, so it is never easy to fight with them. We are happy that we can gain experience playing in a tournament like this one. I am sure that every piece of knowledge we get here, will make us better in the future. Today Italy play well in attack and that was the key to their win. Tomorrow we will play against Poland, we know them from Montreux Volley Masters, and we know what can be expected from this game.”

Thailand captain Nootsara Tomkom says: “We knew that it will be a difficult game for us. Italy is a strong team and they showed it today. They put pressure on us with service and it caused problems in our reception. In addition, our opponents played very fast today and it was hard for us to block them. Against Poland we have to play our volleyball and do our best. We met each other in Montreux so we know their style of play. I hope that this experience will be helpful for us.”

After beating Russia 3-2 on Tuesday, Thailand faced Japan in the battle for the top spot of the group that ended in the Japanese favour 1-4.

Kittinupong Kerdren and Nipitphon Phuangphuapet lost the opening men’s doubles rubber to Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda 14-21 13-21 before Thai No 2 Pornpawee Chohuwong saved three match points to upset world No 4 Akane Yamaguchi 9-21 21-14 22-20 in women’s singles.

The Thai resistance ended just there as they lost all remaining rubbers. Sitthikom Thammasin, despite  a 17-13 lead in the first game, failed to capitalize on his opportunity and  lost to world No 1 Kento Momota 19-21 10-21 in men’s singles.

World No 4 Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahasi sealed off the victory for Japan with a 21-17 21-17 win over Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai in women’s doubles,

In the meaningless mixed doubles, Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai lost to Yut a Watanabe and Arisa Higashino 11-21 14-21 as Japan surged to the top of the group with two wins, followed by Thailand at second with one win against one defeat. Russia, with two defeatsm were out of the tournament.

Thailand face South Korea today at 5pm in the knock-out stage. Thailand finished third in the 2017 Cup.

On the final day of last year’s event, Ariya carded six birdies in the final round to earn a playoff against In Gee Chun and Nasa Hataoka. It only took two extra holes and two birdies for the Thai to secure her first of three wins during the 2018 season and her second victory at the Kingsmill Resort River Course. Her first was in 2016.

The win was the catalyst of what became an impressive year for the former World No 1, who went on to win the US Women’s Open and the Scottish Open – she went on to sweep the season-ending players awards, including the Rolex Player of the Year.

At this year’s tournament, she is looking to start fresh, even if it means not dwelling on her 2018 accomplishments.

“It’s getting more tough and tough like when I try not compare myself to last year, but I still doing okay with that. Even like sometime I think about the outcome so much so it makes it harder to play well,” said Ariya. “I just really have to come back and focus on those things that are under my control. I’ve been working on that with my coach. So I think I’m getting better.”

Her highest finish this year was at the LOTTE Championship, where she tied for third. She said it was in Hawaii that she started to feel herself focus on her “process,” thanks in part to her team around her.

“I feel I’m so lucky, because every time I feel I am struggling they help me, they support me, they always give me the best support,” she said.

With a two-week break under her belt, the Thai feels rejuvenated and ready to keep her mindset in check. A win this week would make her the second three-time winner of this event, along with Cristie Kerr.

“During the last few months the only thing I have been thinking is that I want to play well. I want to finish top 10. I keep asking like why. I keep asking myself why,” said Ariya.

“But right now I’m just going to tell myself how I’m going to do this. So just come back to that. I think I’m on my way.”